Top Gun
by For Crimson Air
Summary: (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS) [This is a Top Gun AU with Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters] Yusei and Crow got accepted in the best Navy aviator school: Top Gun. Aiming to be the top students of their class, they'll start a rivalry with Jack, the best aviator of the school, and his R.I.O., Kiryû. But that rivalry will end up turning into another thing. [Pairing of this fic: Jack/Yusei]
1. Future Legend

**Notes before starting to read:**

I want to say that, as I'm working in another fanfic (Holographic Dreams), I'll update this story more slowly. Also, I'm busy with school, so that will also make me take my time to write and update... sorry about that.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the first episode of this AU, inspired by Bonds Beyond Time abridged, in that scene in which Yusei, Jack and Crow talk about Top Gun.

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 **Episode 01: Future Legend**

"You two will be transferred to Top Gun, the best Navy aviator school. Don't deceive the expectations they have on you."

They had been thinking about those words ever since they first heard them. Now, being in front of the main building made excitement grow up so much in their chests that it hurt. The sun was shining bright that day, making both of them sweat under the tight uniform they were given. They headed towards the facility of Top Gun, the academy, after having a look to the aircraft they had there. They stopped right before entering, making sure they hadn't forgotten anything of the uniform. They looked at each other and a small smile, full of pride, came across their lips. Then, they took a deep breath at the same time and walked in.

A tall man was waiting for them in the hall. He also seemed to be suffering the effects of that hot day. When he noticed their arrival he walked closer, with a serious look in his eyes.

-You're finally here. Welcome to Top Gun. I'm Ushio Tetsu, your instructor. Classes will start soon, so we'll be heading there. You already had your call sign ceremony and they showed you the building, right? -He said.

-Yes. I'm Yusei Fudo, and my call sign is Dragon. -Replied one of the guys.

-As for me, I'm Crow Hogan. Call sign, Blackbird. -Said the second one.

Ushio nodded, satisfied with their answers.

-Alright. On missions and in class, you'll be called by those names. Now follow me.

He started walking, so they both did as they were told. They looked around, still as fascinated as the first day they came in to visit the building. It was hard to believe they were truly in there, and that they were going to study there to be elite pilots. All the students that they crossed in their way looked at them with curiosity.

Ushio stopped in front of a classroom, and made them enter first. All the other students were already there, and they took away their eyes from what they were doing to look slightly surprised at them. They began whispering things one to another as Ushio stepped in and told the newbies to sit on the first line of seats. Crow looked around, feeling a bit uncomfortable with everyone talking about them. He was going to say something to Yusei, but Ushio spoke first, making everyone quiet instantly:

-Listen up! We have two new classmates. Callsigns: Dragon and Blackbird. Be sure to help them adapt to this quickly.

The students answered at the same time with a "Yes sir", so Ushio nodded and continued:

-I'd like to start today with something that can be interesting to everyone, news and old students. Has anyone here been into a real mission, and not just training?

-I was into one.

The student who replied to the instructor's question was a blonde guy who seemed prideful, confident and determined to Yusei's eyes. He glared at him, seeing something that catched his attention in that classmate.

-Yes, Phoenix? -Said Ushio.

Now it made sense to Yusei. That's why there was something about that guy that intrigued him. He was Phoenix, a quite famous pilot that aimed to be the top student of that academy. He was very good, from what he had heard. And there was another thing on him that made it impossible to take your eyes away from him. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or the way he moved, always carefully and with a natural elegance. Or it could be because of his catching eyes. Anyways, Yusei knew he was a special guy, and he got that at first sight.

Phoenix started with an explanation of the events:

-There was a fight nearby with an enemy base, and they ran out of reinforcements, so they called us out, since we were close.

-And what was the outcome of the fight? -Asked the instructor.

A smile appeared on the blonde guy's face, predicting what he was going to say.

-We crushed them.

Many students in the class let out exclamations of admiration. Of course they all dreamed of having a real battle soon.

-Tell us about the strategy you used to beat them, and what aircraft you had to fight. -Said Ushio.

As Phoenix explanation started, Crow let out a sigh, making Yusei turn around to look at him.

-What's up? -He whispered.

Crow didn't take his eyes away from Phoenix as he answered Yusei in the same tone:

-He's that famous pilot... He fought a real battle... How are we going to be the top students? He's gonna take the place.

Yusei pressed his lips when he heard him, thinking about that. It wasn't going to be easy, but he wasn't willing to give up.

In Top Gun, the best driver of each class, alongside his R.I.O., gets a plaque with their name on it. Then, you were given complete freedom to choose where you want to go to continue your career. You could even come back to be an instructor of Top Gun. It was a privilege everyone dreamed of. But getting that title seemed harder than what they thought.

-Let's just do our best. -Replied Yusei, looking at Crow and smiling to try to give him confidence.

His friend smiled back at him.

The classes passed rather quickly to them, since they changed of subject every now and then, the instructor making clear that their time in Top Gun will cover all the studies about aviators: strategies, all kind of aircraft, with two missions per day... And that was the other side of it, their training time. Being in that academy was already exciting enough, but that was their first training day, and they were given marks that would classify them to be the best student based on how well they did them, so they were really enthusiastic about it. It was the time when you could show what you already knew.

Yusei's R.I.O. was designed to be Crow, so they were confident about doing it well. They looked around to see who was Phoenix's wingman; a boy with light blue hair that they heard his call sign was Giganto. They didn't know him, but he had good, since he was with Phoenix. He had also that overconfident-look that made them think that he would make up a good rival.

They walked towards the landing field, where their F-14 was. Crow let out an exclamation of excitement, craving to fly. Yusei's eyes shone with thrill when he saw all the aircraft they had there. Of course, it wasn't the first time they saw that, but it always made their hearts pound with passion.

On that training they had to simulate they shot their rival's aircraft, that this time was the one of Phoenix and Giganto. Yusei looked at the blonde guy, who was also glancing at him, with a prideful smile on his lips. They held each other's gaze until Yusei turned around to walk towards Ushio and get his helmet.

Crow got first into their F-14, being soon followed by Yusei.

-Let's kick their ass! -Said Crow, with a big grin.

After putting their helmets on and getting everything ready, they took off and started flying in the zone they were designed to. They both were very nervous, but the enthusiasm of getting to fly as an aviator of Top Gun was growing and putting aside all other emotions. Yusei held the control tightly, focusing on the training. He looked around, but he couldn't find Phoenix's aircraft anywhere.

-Crow, where are they? -He asked.

-At our left! They're approaching! -Answered Crow, looking at the radar.

Yusei turned and saw Phoenix's aircraft flying vertically, almost scraping against their own F-14. Then, the aircraft quickly became steady again, showing a great control of it. Yusei opened his eyes widely in admiration. It was easy to know why his call sign was "Phoenix", since he was truly elegant when he flew.

-Come on, Yusei, move, or they'll lock us on! -Said Crow, getting him back to his senses.

Yusei continued flying, speeding up as he saw Phoenix going after him, wanting to end this as soon as possible. Phoenix's aircraft quickly got behind them, trying to aim at them. Yusei clicked his tongue. He couldn't let them get him that easily. He did a great maneuver, hard to achieve, to completely get out of their way. Crow let out a laugh.

-That's the way! I'm sure now they're confused. Time to take the advantage! -He said.

They tried to get behind them to lock them on, but, of course, Phoenix knew about those maneuvers, so he quickly regained the superiority, moving fast to make Yusei lose track of him. Even so, Yusei tried to keep his eyes onto their rival's aircraft, and Crow was quick to give him the indications.

-They're good... -Whispered Yusei to himself.

Then, Phoenix moved so they got under Yusei's aircraft, flying past them and then getting behind them again. This took Crow and Yusei completely off guard, as they didn't expect something like that.

-What the... Come on, Yusei, fly out of their range! -Said Crow, not wanting to lose.

Yusei did his best, but he was too nervous, and from that position they were an easy target to lock them on. Every way he moved, their rival's aircraft was right behind, following them closely. And so, the team of Phoenix and Giganto won, after successfully aim at them.

-Ah, damn... They got us there. But how can he do something like that so fast? -Commented Crow, as Yusei let out a sigh.

They flew back to the landing field, thinking that they could have won if it hadn't been for that last maneuver. But they knew that it couldn't be easy to beat the ace, Phoenix.

The blonde aviator got out of his aircraft with a big grin on his face, as everyone was cheering on him.

-It isn't that surprising, They're new to all of this, and Phoenix is the best student. -Said one of the aviators that was with the crowd of people around him.

That made Crow step in, frowning.

-I'm sorry, but we did pretty well out there. And I tell you in advance, Phoenix, that we plan on being the top students of this academy. We're going to surpass you. -He said, defiantly.

Yusei looked at him, surprised. Of course, his intention was to be the best, but that was a direct defy to Phoenix. The blonde boy chuckled.

-Are you challenging me? -He said.

-Yeah. -Replied Crow, serious- So you better don't slack off.

-I won't. Don't worry, I won't make it easy for you two. -Phoenix said, smirking. Then, he looked at his wingman and added:- Isn't that right, Giganto?

-Of course. -Confirmed the blue-haired boy, also grinning.

Then, they started walking towards the main building of Top Gun, since after training they had to report to the instructor. Yusei and Crow followed them, as the rest of the aviators remained on the landing field for their own missions. Crow walked quickly until he was next to Phoenix, and, looking at him, he said:

-What's your true name?

Phoenix looked back at him and stopped walking, all four of them doing the same.

-I'm Jack. Jack Atlas. -He answered.

Crow nodded at that, satisfied.

-What about your mate? -He asked.

-I'm Kiryû Kyôsuke. -Said Giganto.

-Good. I'm Crow Hogan. From now on, we're rivals. -He said, serious.

-And what's his name? -Jack pointed out to Yusei lifting up his chin a bit.

-I'm Yusei Fudo. -Replied Yusei, who had been glaring at Jack all that time.

-Good. I'm looking forward to our next training. -Said Jack.

He had noticed that Yusei was a good aviator. Even if he had won at the end, the maneuvers Yusei did weren't that easy to perform. He had a feeling that, if Yusei hadn't been nervous, things would have ended in a different way, and so he knew that he couldn't take away his eyes from that guy.

Yusei was also interested in Jack's ability. He was truly good, and that made him more excited to win. He knew he had found a good rival there.

They continued walking towards Ushio's office, already feeling a rivalry that would only grow up as time passed.

Their instructor gave Jack some advice about his maneuvers, and agreed with Yusei that he was still nervous, but told him to focus more from now on, knowing that he could do better.

When they exitted Ushio's office, Crow stretched out his arms. Jack and Kiryû went their own way, leaving them behind.

-Well, Yusei, how about getting a shower and then join the others for a drink? -Crow said, as they walked down the corridor.

Usually, after training, some of the aviators joined in a club close to the building to relax a bit from all the accumulated stress of the school.

-Alright. -Accepted Yusei, not really having anything else to do.

They walked towards the locker room, where many students were, taking a shower after training. Yusei and Crow got quickly undressed and looked after an empty stall.

-Oh, I'm lucky, I found one! -Said Crow, getting in.

Yusei let out a sigh and continued searching. Then, as he walked towards a stall he thought it was empty, Jack walked outside of it, almost bumping into Yusei. He had only a towel around his hips, which made Yusei look away.

-Sorry. -He said.

-It's okay. Take my place. -Replied Jack, walking away.

Yusei watched as Jack joined Kiryû, who handed the blonde aviator another towel, which he used to dry his hair. Yusei got into the stall, taking a quick shower. Crow was faster than him. When Yusei got out, he tossed him a towel.

-Are you asleep? You're slow. -Said Crow, in a mocking tone.

-I'm just tired. -Answered Yusei, drying himself with the towel.

-First days are always tiring, yeah. -Agreed Crow.

They put their clothes on and exited the locker room.

They walked all the way towards the club, Crow going first, as he seemed to know well the place. The club was full of people, most of them being military fighters. They could see their immaculate uniforms everywhere, and the ones that catched all the attention were the Top Gun students, proud of their acceptance in the school.

Yusei and Crow made their way through the crowd and stopped next to the bar counter, being surrounded by all the different perfumes that the ladies had, and the smell of alcohol and tobacco. Crow looked around, noticing how all the girls were around the Top Gun men. He let out an ironic chuckle when his eyes spotted Jack, who was alongside many ladies.

-Look, Yusei, our rival is good at everything. -Said Crow, catching his friend's attention.

Yusei turned around to look at Jack, focusing on him and ignoring all the girls next to him. Jack seemed uninterested, almost bored. He only showed light smiles of courtesy to the women around him, giving short sips to his alcoholic drink.

Crow let out a sigh.

-He's so popular, but he looks like he doesn't care about it. What an arrogant bastard... -He commented.

Yusei looked back at the bar counter, asking for a drink. Crow quickly followed him and soon was happily drinking, forgetting about Jack. With a grin on his face, he looked proudly at his uniform.

-Man, we made it through. We are in Top Gun. -He said.

Yusei showed a light smile.

-Yes, we're in. -He replied.

Crow let out a laugh and got an arm around Yusei's shoulders.

-And we're going to kick everyone's ass! -He said, cheerfully.

Yusei was going to answer him, but somebody called their names out loud, making them look at the crowd of people. The one who had called them was looking back at them. It was Jack, with his as-usual-prideful smile.

-We're going to play poker. Care to join us? -He said.

Crow wanted to accept the challenge, but Yusei answered faster:

-No, thank you.

Jack raised one eyebrow, expecting some explanation, but Yusei gave him his back, turning around to face his drink. Crow looked at him, slightly surprised.

-Why didn't you accept?

-I don't want to defeat him in poker. I just want to be better than him when it comes to flying. -Replied Yusei.

Crow sighed. To him, any chance to beat his rival would be good, but he knew Yusei's wish to be the top student and avoid all possible troubles. He gave another sip to his drink. It didn't take long before Yusei got up, tired of the ambience.

-I think I'm leaving already. -He said.

-Alright. I'll be going too... -Crow got up after paying the bill.

They walked out of the club, and didn't notice Jack leaving the crowd to follow them. Crow excused himself and went to the restroom, so Yusei decided to wait for him outside the bar. It was then when he saw Jack, who stopped next to him.

-Did the game end already? -Asked Yusei.

-Well, I told them I'd play right after a short pause. -Replied Jack, looking back at him. Then, he added:- The instructor said that he has big hopes on you.

-Is that so?

Yusei felt uncomfortable talking with Jack. It probably was because of his way of talking, always implying that he was superior to the others, or because of how good he was at flying. He knew he was the best aviator of Top Gun, and yet he hoped he'd be able to surpass him. Jack stopped in front of him, forcing Yusei to look back at him.

-You may be good, but I won't let you take my place. -His words came out as an advice, but Yusei didn't move nor said anything.

Then, he walked away, going back into the club, and leaving Yusei lost in his thoughts.

Crow arrived quickly, and looked at his friend with a smile on his face.

-Come on, Yusei. It's been a long day, time to go home and rest. -He said, knowing it was just what Yusei wanted to do.

-Yeah, you're right. -Replied Yusei.

They walked back to Top Gun, heading towards the parking zone, jumping onto their motorcycles and going their own way.

Yusei let his thoughts wander as he speeded up. He loved every emotion that hit his body when he flew, and he knew that, with Top Gun, that excitement would do nothing more than grow. And probably the thrill of beating Jack would entertain him enough too. Anyways, he knew he wouldn't get bored anymore, and he rode home with big expectations for the next day.


	2. Watching the sky

**IMPORTANT NOTE:**

This fanfic is on hiatus ! I have another projects I'm focusing on right now, so I'm putting this one on a hiatus until I find time for it. I'll definitely finish this fic, though. Sorry for the trouble, and thanks for your patience.

* * *

I'm sorry the episode is out so late! I got really busy with tests, and in holidays I felt too tired to get back to writing... I apologize for it, and the update of Holographic Dreams (my other YGO fic) will have to wait a little longer, since I'm rearranging some things about the storyline.

Anyways, here's the episode, hope you like it!

* * *

 **Episode 02: Watching the sky**

Yusei washed his face with water to wake himself up completely. It had been a tiring night, sleeping just a couple of hours because of the excitement. It seemed like it was going to be that way for the first few days. He heard someone knocking on the door, and he turned around to see Crow standing there, grinning.

-Classes are going to start. You wouldn't like to arrive late on your second day, right? -He said.

Yusei let out a sigh.

-I'm going. -He replied.

He followed his friend, and arrived in time to the first class. Yusei's eyes stopped at Jack, who was already sitting in his place. He looked back at Yusei and smirked. Yusei held his gaze for a few seconds, but the moment their instructor stepped in, he looked away, walking towards his seat. Crow sat next to him, noticing the tension in the room.

-Don't worry, we'll beat him. -He whispered to his friend, who rested his cheek in his hand, pressing his lips to hold in a sigh.

The teacher looked at everyone before speaking:

-I'm introducing you a teacher that just returned here after being a few years abroad. I know you will learn a lot from her. She knows about aircraft and maneuvers better than anyone at Top Gun.

Everyone waited for the door to open with expectation, wondering how the instructor could be. Then, a tall woman walked inside the room. Crow's eyes went wide open when he saw her.

-Hey, Yusei, that's Aki, right? -He said to him, in a quiet voice.

Yusei was as surprised as him, but there was also happiness in his face.

-Yes, she is… -Replied Yusei, staring at her.

They both couldn't believe seeing her there, but decided to remain silent to hear what she had to say. She stopped next to Ushio and looked back at the students, who were all curious about her.

-My name is Aki Izayoi. From now on, I'll be supervising your work. Let's all do our best. -She said.

Everyone answered with a "Yes, sir" at once, and Ushio nodded slightly at that, indicating that introductions were over. He started by explaining a few maneuvers that some pilots did the day before, with Aki standing behind, just listening and watching.

Ushio analyzed everyone's moves and showed which ones were the best ones. Of course, Jack's maneuvers were the example of perfect moves. Jack kept a confident smile over his lips while Ushio praised his good work, but it quickly faded when their instructor encouraged Yusei and Crow.

-You guys did it well. I know you are nervous, but you have to adapt to this fast. No one's going to be easy on you. But the maneuvers you did were perfectly done, no complaints over that point. You have to be more aware of the possibilities your enemy has, though. -He explained.

-Yes, sir. -Replied Crow, with a short smile showing up on his face.

He turned around to look at Jack, wanting to see some annoyed reaction from him, but he wasn't looking at them. Kiryû was, with a frown on his face. Crow's smile widened, proud to see he had pissed someone off, and he turned around again to look at Ushio and listen to the rest of his explanation.

The instructor showed on a screen other possibilities, and the tension of the class seemed to decrease slowly.

When the class ended, Jack got up of his seat quickly, walking towards Yusei with an expression that didn't seem very friendly at all.

-I'll be waiting for you to show me some entertainment. -He said, in a challenging tone.

He then walked away, followed by Kiryû, who turned around to let out a mocking chuckle at them.

Crow clicked his tongue, getting up. He was going to walk towards them and give Jack a proper answer, but Yusei grabbed him by his jacket.

-Hey, let's talk with Aki. -He said.

That seemed to calm Crow down quickly.

-Oh, yeah!

They noticed that she had already left the class, so they quickly left the classroom and tried to follow her. When they saw her walking down the corridor, Crow called her out:

-Sir!

She stopped, turning around to look at him. Surprise overcame her, as she hadn't noticed them before.

-Oh, Crow, Yusei! -She approached them, smiling- I didn't expect you to be here!

-Well, yes! -Said Crow, proudly- We finished our studies properly, and got recommended to Top Gun!

-That's amazing! I'm so happy for you both. -Her smile widened.

-But you're no less. You became a first-class instructor. -Commented Yusei.

-I guess we all worked hard enough. -She said, looking back at him.

-Things will be better with you around. -Added Crow, grinning.

-I hope so, but please let's not let old memories burden our work. -She replied.

She had certainly grew as a very responsible person. Of course, there was no room for irresponsibility in a place like that, but they were glad to see how she had matured. And they also had.

After chatting for a little while, they had to leave for the training practice. She continued her way while they turned around to go to the landing zone. When they arrived, they walked towards their F-14. As they were told before about the mission they had to do, this time they'll compete against other aviators into locking on their instructor, taking him down.

-We'll have to fly against Ushio... It's going to be tough, but exciting too. -Commented Crow, putting his helmet on.

-Yes. -Agreed Yusei.

Of course it gave him the thrills to see his instructor flying, since he would be able to see one of the best aviators in action, but they also were going to compete against Jack in that mission, so he knew that if they won that one, they'd be really well esteemed.

-Let's do this! -He could hear Jack cheering his team on, and that made him speed up on the preparations.

Yusei got into their aircraft, helmet already on.

-Are you ready, Crow? -He said.

-Always am! -Replied Crow, energetically.

Yusei smiled at that and took off, quickly followed by the rest of the aircrafts.

He flew avoiding the others, looking for a clear way to get behind Ushio's aircraft. But, of course, it wasn't easy at all. Ushio wasn't an instructor for nothing. He flew following all the rules, but at a high speed, not letting anyone get close to him. Slowly, the aircrafts began being targeted by him, being left out of the mission, one after another.

Yusei turned around to try to surprise him while he was busy locking on another aircraft, but Jack was faster. He flew past Yusei, following closely Ushio, and trying to aim at him. Yusei frowned, annoyed, since Jack was trying to take away his opportunity, but also paying attention to his maneuvers. But Ushio got to avoid them while taking down the aircraft he was targeting.

-Damn! -Let out Jack.

His intention was to be quicker than anyone else, to not let Yusei have any chance to lock Ushio on first.

Yusei, seeing this, flew right next to Jack. They were the closest ones to Ushio's aircraft, and it looked like there was no room for anyone else in that competition. Yusei tried to lock on, but Jack got in his way, with a really dangerous maneuver, forcing him to fly away to avoid a collision.

-What's he doing? -Mumbled Crow, annoyed.

He wasn't going to let them defeat him, not let anyone think that he wasn't the best. Kiryû tried to warn him that safety came out first, but Jack was too focused on winning. He was a truly self centered guy, and Yusei couldn't get in his way.

Ushio continued taking down other aviator's aircraft, leaving really few people out there.

Eventually, only Jack, Yusei and the instructor himself would be the ones left.

Yusei tried another plan: defeating Jack directly. If he was that focused on Ushio, he might fall for his trap. But it didn't happen like that. When Yusei got behind his aircraft, Jack quickly moved aside, not completely leaving his position after Ushio. Yusei clicked his tongue. Jack didn't leave anything unattended, so it was impossible to catch him off guard.

This time, tired of that useless persecution, it was Ushio who decided to lock Jack on. He did a great maneuver to turn around and get behind Jack's aircraft, and took him down.

-Only one left. -Said their instructor.

Jack let out a curse, flying back to the landing zone. He was really pissed off.

Yusei took that chance to get behind Ushio and try to lock him on. Sweat started to cover his hands, and he was so nervous that it was hard to concentrate on what he had to do. He was a few steps left from winning. Crow cheered him up:

-Come on, Yusei, you can do it! He's right in front of us!

Yusei breathed out, trying to relax, and narrowed his eyes to focus on his aim. Ushio escaped him one time and another, but he couldn't give up when he was so close to it. He speeded up, following him closely and trying to shorten his flying range. And he managed to do it. Ushio made a small mistake not turning around when he had a chance to, and Yusei took advantage of that perfectly. Trying again to lock him on, he ended up doing it. A loud cheer came out of Crow when he saw that they had won, that they took down Ushio. Yusei smiled proudly.

-Good job, man! -Said Crow- That's going to earn us many points!

-Yes! -Agreed Yusei, feeling joy growing up in his chest.

They flew back to the landing zone, and when the got out of their F-14, Crow approached him to pat him in the back in a friendly way. Of course, it was only training, but they felt really happy about their first victory. Not only they had proven Jack and Kiryû that they were better than what they thought, but they had also defeated Ushio. They weren't in Top Gun for anything.

Crow looked at Jack with a grin on his face, but the blonde guy turned around, ignoring him. Crow let out a chuckle.

-Now they'll have to take us seriously. -He said.

Ushio made a gesture to them to follow him into his office, and they gladly followed him, knowing that they would be recognized their greatness.

* * *

They were walking down the corridors, Crow talking loudly about how well they had done that mission, when they bumped into their rivals. Crow folded his arms, raising one eyebrow.

-Hello, guys. -He said, in a mocking tone.

Kiryû was the first one to react, frowning.

-Are you acting like this because of one victory? How childish. You don't get to be the best because of a single mission. -He replied.

A chuckle escaped Crow's lips.

-I know, I know. I just remembered how sure you were that we weren't going to surpass you. -Commented Crow.

-And you didn't surpass us. The one who took us down was Ushio, not you. -Kiryû was truly short tempered, and moreover, he had been in a bad mood since their instructor beat them.

It was at that moment when Jack decided to talk, remaining calm:

-Come on, Kiryû, it's good to acknowledge one's mistakes. It won't happen a second time, that's for sure.

The way he talked, like he was superior to everyone else, pissed Crow off. He knew he wasn't going to get along with him, no matter what.

-How can you be so confident about it? -The one who made that question was Yusei, who was standing a few steps behind Crow.

Everyone looked at him. Yusei had his eyes fixed on Jack, waiting for an answer. He wasn't a troublemaker at all, but he didn't like being looked down upon. Jack let out a sigh.

-Because we won't make any mistakes from now on. I thought lightly of you two until now, yeah, but I shouldn't have done it. -He said.

-Yes, you shouldn't. -Yusei said.

His eyes seemed to add "because we're not going to be easy on you two", but he kept quiet. They kept staring at each other for a brief moment, examining themselves.

Crow decided to break all that tension.

-We won this time, so yeah, you better take us seriously! -He said, starting to walk away from them- Let's go, Yusei.

Yusei let out a sigh and followed him, with Jack's eyes still on him.

Kiryû rested his hands on his hips, also looking at them as they left.

-That Crow is getting too arrogant... -He commented.

That made Jack chuckle lightly.

-You're one to talk, Kiryû.

Kiryû clicked his tongue, and both of them continued walking, taking another direction.

* * *

Yusei and Crow were in Yusei's room, resting from another tiring day. It was already late, and the only light from the room came from a chimney that was in a corner of the room, also giving warmth to the cold room.

Yusei was laying on his bed, resting his head on one of his arms. He opened the hand of his other arm, to look at his tag necklace. He was lost on his thoughts, staring blankly at it.

Crow, who was sitting on a chair close to the bed, looked at Yusei.

-I know what you're thinking about. -He said, in a low voice.

Yusei didn't look back at him, still focusing on the necklace. Crow fixed his gaze on the ceiling.

-About how we got into Top Gun... We walked a long way, huh? -He said.

Yusei nodded.

-And we still got a way to walk. -Added Yusei.

-Yeah, but I'm sure we'll have no problems. -Crow smiled- We already made it this far, after all!

Yusei's hand closed tightly on the necklace, pressing it to his chest.

He remembered clearly the day Crow showed up in his house to ask him to enlist together. He had a big grin on his face and managed to convince him somehow. They got accepted, and they quickly showed their skills, ascending to better positions. And then, in a couple of years, they got their recommendation to Top Gun. It hadn't been easy at all, but it had been worth it. That day felt almost like a dream to both of them.

And now, being in Top Gun wasn't going to make their ambition fade. They were aiming to be the best ones, and that lead to another thing that had been on their mind lately, their extra motivation: beating Jack and Kiryû, being better than them. They hadn't been able to take those thoughts out of their minds. Their pretentious smirks always annoyed them, wanting to force them to bite the dust as soon as possible.

Just when Yusei thought of taking a break from all that stuff by taking a nap, someone knocked on the door. Crow got up, stretching out his arms and letting out a sigh.

-We have no free time, huh…? -He whispered to himself.

He walked towards the door and opened it, surprised to see a classmate there. He expected it to be Tetsu, or another teacher. He frowned, trying to remember the name of the boy who was standing in front of him. He had to admit it: the only classmates that had some space in his mind were Jack and Kiryû. He didn't remember anyone else's name.

-Hi. I'm Bruno. Callsign, Dark Glass-Said the boy, smiling shyly.

-Ah, yeah! Dark Glass, right. -Said Crow, chuckling lightly- What's wrong, you need something?

-Tetsu is calling us for a short meeting. He has something to tell us.

Crow scratched the back of his head and made an annoying expression.

-Right now…?

-Yes. -Bruno nodded, and then started to walk away- Well, then… I'll see you there.

Crow waved at him as a goodbye and then turned around to look at Yusei.

-You heard him. Let's go. -He said.

The black-haired boy sighed and got up, following his friend.

When they arrived at the classroom they quickly sat down on their seats, waiting for Ushio to start talking. Everyone else had already arrived. The teacher looked at his students and nodded to himself.

-Well, break is over, boys. -He said- This meeting is to tell you that there's a new plan for the training practices.

Crow frowned.

-What does he want now? -He whispered to Yusei, who just shrugged his shoulders.

There was a short silence of expectation, and then Ushio spoke:

-You will be making teams for the practices.

And so, the silence was over. All the students started to talk with each other, some of them getting upset, some excited. Ushio coughed to quiet everyone. He sighed and then started to explain himself:

-Teams of four people. You will be competing with the other teams; the first to lock the teacher on, wins.

-Well, it's the same thing as before, but now in teams… But it could get interesting. -Commented Crow, looking at his friend- If we get some good mates we could beat that Jack and Kiryû!

-That would be great. -Yusei smiled.

-And I will be the one to choose the teams. -Added the teacher.

That made Crow's hopes vanish.

-What? Him? Oh, damn… -He rested his face on his hand and rolled his eyes.

Ushio showed them some documents he had on his desk.

-It's the list of the teams. I'll be reading it to you. -He said.

He started doing so, and everyone kept quiet, showing in their expressions if they were glad or not of being in their respective teams. Then, when most of the class already knew who they were assigned with, it was Yusei and Crow's turn.

-Now, Dragon and Blackbird… -Read Ushio, narrowing his eyes- You two are going with Phoenix and Giganto.

Kiryû hit his desk with a thud.

-What?! -He frowned, pissed off- I don't want to be with them!

Seeing that attitude, Ushio got serious and replied with a cold voice:

-You're not a kid, Giganto. This is how you have to work here. If you don't like it, you can always quit.

Kiryû looked away, clicking his tongue. Crow let a deep sigh.

-I can't believe it… Out of all the persons that we could have been paired with, it had to be them… -He whispered.

Yusei was also annoyed by that choice, but he was better at controlling his actions. He decided to remain silent and see how things would go that way.

Jack looked at Yusei, frowning. If they were in the same team, it would be impossible to compete. They had to "cooperate". And Yusei was the last person he wanted to cooperate with.

The teacher decided to end the meeting, dismissing everyone. Crow and Yusei walked back to their room, slowly.

-Jack and Kiryû… Great. -Mumbled Crow to himself, ironically. He was as angry as Kiryû, but he wouldn't let himself get as worked up as him.

-But Ushio said that once we lock him on, all this "team practice" will end, right? -Commented Yusei.

Crow looked at him, and a small grin showed on his lips.

-Yeah, that's right! Let's finish this as soon as possible! -He said, with his mood suddenly lightened.

They both arrived to their room, deciding that the best thing would be to rest, and give it their best shot the next day. Hopefully, or so they wished, they would be able to end that situation without provoking more tensions between them…


End file.
